Something was missing at the presidential debates last week, and
it was to the discredit of both candidates. In their relentless
search for every vote, both President George Bush and Sen. John
Kerry carefully and deliberately chose not discuss the morning
after pill.
Although both candidates dismissed the contraceptive, it remains
a force to be reckoned with (especially for college-age women).
Millions of women depend upon this contraceptive every day, but
it’s not easily accessible ““ and that’s a big
problem.
This pill, also known as Plan B, can only be obtained as a
prescription drug. That is a mistake. Women should be given greater
opportunity in using Plan B by making it available as an
over-the-counter drug. And that’s why Barr Pharmaceuticals is
right now applying (for the second time) for permission to provide
Plan B without a prescription to all people 16 years and older.
But will the FDA approve? I certainly hope so. Women must be
accorded quick, discreet and respectful access to such pills.
The biggest reason emergency contraceptives should be
non”“prescription drugs is that they’re safe and
dependable. Both non-toxic and non-addictive, overdosing on Plan B
is nearly impossible. In fact, the doses are very easy to manage
and all women receive the same quantity of drug per pill . In case
you question my medical credentials, even a panel of doctors from
the FDA recommend that emergency contraception be available over
the counter.
There’s another important reason why change needs to
happen soon. Last February, three pharmacists from Eckerd Corp. in
Texas failed to supply the morning after pill to a woman who had
been raped. The pharmacists defended their action with the claim
that Plan B would have killed the woman’s embryo. As Gene
Herr, one of the pharmacists, later explained to the Associated
Press, “I went into the back room and briefly prayed about
it. I actually called my pastor … and asked him what he thought
about it.” Herr was later fired by Eckerd.
Then just last month a New Hampshire pharmacist denied Plan B to
a single mother, Suzanne Richards. “He said something like,
“˜I believe this will end the fertilization of the egg and
this conception was your choice,'” Richards told a New
Hampshire paper.
When Richards understood that the unsympathetic pharmacist would
not help her, she said, “I pulled the car over in the parking
lot and just cried.” By the time Richards reached the
neighboring town’s pharmacy supply, it was too late. Her
72-hour time frame had already passed. She could no longer use the
contraceptive.
Women like Richards shouldn’t be subjected to the personal
beliefs of others. But some people, like the previously mentioned
pharmacists in New Hampshire and Texas, think they should. It is
their belief that Plan B is morally, legally and religiously wrong.
One of such groups, Concerned Women for America, urges visitors to
their Web site to “make decisions that respect the lives of
human beings, even in their earliest stages.”
Other opponents worry for the fate of young and vulnerable
women. A common argument is that easier access to Plan B encourages
teen girls to be careless and irresponsible.
I disagree. I firmly believe in a woman’s right to choose.
Part of this choice includes emergency contraception like the
morning after pill. And I just don’t buy the argument that
over-the-counter pills denigrate youth. I think quite the
opposite.
Young people need and deserve sex education, sex resources and
emergency contraception. We don’t protect teens by limiting
their options ““ we protect them by providing a wealth of
tools and resources. It’s up to young women to make their own
sexual choices. It’s our duty to provide all the safety and
protection we can.
Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of
America and American Medical Association support over-the-counter
sales of the morning after pill. But the FDA doesn’t. It
first considered the request from Barr Pharmaceuticals last year.
Although the FDA’s scientific advisers voted 23-4 in favor of
the initial proposal to sell Plan B with no age restriction, the
application never passed.
So what happened? The vote was actually overruled by Dr. Steven
Galson, the FDA’s drug chief. He expressed concern for
improper use of the contraceptives by teenagers.
Predictably, just months later, women like Richards in New
Hampshire suffered the harsh consequences of this decision.
Three million women experience unintended pregnancies every
year. Of these, 800,000 are teenagers. With such huge numbers,
presidential attention is warranted.
Plan B must be more accessible. Support the morning after pill
as an over-the-counter drug. It’s imperative that women be
allowed all the safe resources for self-determination of their
destinies.
Fried is a second-year history student. E-mail her at
ifried@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.